Lie to Me

Ford, an old friend of Buffy's from L.A., shows up unexpectedly in Sunnydale, and seems to know that she is the Slayer. When Xander, Willow, and Angel discover that he is involved with a cultish group of disillusioned teens who idolize vampires, they must find out Ford's true agenda before it's too late.

Quotes (23)

Chantarelle: This is a beautiful day. Can't you see that?Buffy: What I see is that, right after the sun goes down, Spike and all of his friends are going to be pigging out at the all-you-can-eat moron bar!Diego: Okay, that's it. I think we should gag her.Buffy: I think you should try.Diego: (in a sing-song voice) She's an unbeliever. She taints us.Buffy: I am trying to save you! You are playing in some serious traffic here! Do you understand that? You're going to die! And the only hope you have of surviving this is to get out of this pit right now, and, my God,
could you have a dorkier outfit?!?

(Angel has just offended one of the member's of the Sunset Club, to Willow and Xander's disappointment)Angela: They're children, making up bedtime stories of friendly vampires to comfort themselves in the dark.Willow: Is that so bad?Angel: These people don't know anything about vampires. What they are, how they live, how they dress... (a member of the club cuts through the group, wearing the exact outfit Angel has on)

Ford: Dad got the transfer, and boom, he just dragged me outta Hemery and put me down here.
Buffy: This is great! Well, I mean, it's hard, sudden move, all your friends, delicate time, very emotional, but let's talk about me! This is great!
Willow: So, you two were sweeties in fifth grade?
Buffy: Not even. Ford wouldn't give me the time of day.
Ford: Well, I was a manly sixth-grader. I couldn't bother with someone that young.
Buffy: It was terrible. I moped over you for months. Sitting in my room, listening to that Divinyls song I Touch Myself. (Everyone looks at her) Of course, I had no idea what it was about.

Ford: This is so cool! I would totally live here.
Spike: Do I have anyone on watch here? It's called security, people. Are you all asleep? Or did we finally find a restaurant that delivers?
Ford: I know who you are.
Spike: Yeah? I know who I am too, what's your point?

Buffy: Ford, these people don't deserve to die!
Ford: Well, neither do I. But apparently no one took that into consideration, because I'm still dying. I look good, don't I? Well, let me tell you something: I've got maybe six months left, and by then what they bury won't even look like me. It'll be bald, and shriveled, and it'll smell bad. No. I'm not going out that way. I'm sorry, Summers. Did I screw up your righteous anger riff? Does the nest of tumors liquefying my brain kinda spoil the fun?
Buffy: I'm sorry. I had no idea. But what you're doing is still very wrong.
Ford: Okay, well, you try vomiting for twenty-four hours straight because the pain in your head is so intense, and then we'll discuss the concept of right and wrong. These people are sheep. They want to be vampires because they're lonely, miserable or bored. I don't have a choice.
Buffy: You have a choice. You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice. You're opting for mass murder here, and nothing you say is going to make that okay!
Ford: You think I need to justify myself to you?
Buffy: I think this is all part of your little fantasy drama! Isn't this exactly how you imagined it? You tell me how you've suffered and I feel sorry for you. Well, I do feel sorry for you, and if those vampires come in here and start feeding, I'll kill you myself!
Ford: You know what, Summers? I really did miss you.

Notes (5)

Julia Lee's character Chantarelle will later appear in episode 3.1 titled "Anne", where she will go by the name Lily. Her character, in this episode and in episode 3.1, consistently has identity issues (shown through her third name change when she crosses over onto the Buffy spin-off Angel).

Jason Behr (Ford) and Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy) also starred together in the 2004's movie The Grudge playing a tortured couple. This movie also features Clea DuVall who appeared in season one's "Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight" (1x11).

The fake vampire who greets Buffy when she comes in ("Hi" Vampire in the credits) is played by Todd McIntosh, the show's makeup supervisor, in a brief cameo.

You can see Beljoxa's Eye on a mural behind Billy and Buffy. Beljoxa's Eye plays a pivotal role in season seven's "Showtime" (7x11).

In the October 1, 1999 issue of Entertainment Weekly, Jeff Pruitt, the stunt coordinator, said that this was his favorite episode.

Trivia (3)

Buffy tells Angel she loves him for the first time in this episode.

Nitpick: When Angel comes over to Willow's, she is wearing lipstick, and it looks really fresh, even though she was just about to go to bed.

Goof: When Ford and Xander are playing pool, the nine ball hits the eight ball in the corner pocket. Then Ford walks around the table to shoot again. He hits the cueball and we hear balls rattle (off screen). When the camera pans it shows only striped balls on the table. This makes it impossible for them to be playing any known type of pool game. If it's eightball then Ford already lost the game by using the nine ball to combo the eight in. It can't be nineball because the nine would be the only stripe on the table.

Allusions (1)

Buffy: Sitting in my room, listening to that Divinyls song, "I Touch Myself". The 1991 song I Touch Myself was the biggest hit for the Australian band The Divinyls.